Fuzhou Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737 Max 8, bringing it to a fleet of 17 aircraft. The CFM International Leap-1B-powered jet, registered B-207C, landed at Fuzhou Changle International airport on 4 December. The carrier will deploy the aircraft on commercial services from Fuzhou to Xian, Kunming and Chongqing, and on the [...]

Latvian carrier Air Baltic has flown a specially-painted Airbus A220-300 in formation with fighters to commemorate the centenary of the Baltic country’s establishment. The aircraft (YL-CSL) – which was delivered in the second week of October – carries a livery reflecting the red-and-white national flag, as well as the title ‘Latvia 100’ on the fin. [...]

Dassault has achieved French military qualification for the F3-R-standard variant of the Rafale combat aircraft. Launched at the end of 2013, and based on operational feedback, the upgrade sees the fighter gain a number of enhancements, including the integration of MBDA's Meteor air-to-air missile, the laser-guided version of the Safran AASM air-to-ground munition and Thales's [...]

The first of four Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transports (MRTT) has arrived in South Korea, where it will undergo acceptance tests. Piloted by an Airbus and Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) South Korean air force crew, the aircraft conducted its ferry flight to Gimhae air base from Getafe, Spain with a stop in Vancouver, [...]

The Peoples’ Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has a large presence in this year’s static park at Airshow China in Zhuhai, including the public debut of a new operational type. The most notable PLAAF aircraft on display is an AVIC Wing Loong II UAV, which for the first time is appearing in the show in [...]

Air New Zealand has taken delivery of its first Airbus A321neo, one of 20 of the re-engined A320neo family destined for the carrier. The aircraft (ZK-NNA) is fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines, and has the ‘cabin flex’ fuselage configuration with the overwing exits and revised aft door positioning. Airbus says the twinjet has [...]

The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) has displayed a model of the WJ-700, a new long-range UAV designed for reconnaissance and attack missions. The jet powered WJ-700 has an endurance of 20hr and has two hard points under each wing. The example on display was shown with models of the CM-102 anti-radiation missile, [...]

The AVIC Guizhou FTC-2000G has made its public debut, appearing in the static line at Airshow China in Zhuhai. The FTC-2000G appeared amid a range of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons, such as the SD-10 semi-active air-to-air missile (the export variant of the PL-12), the CM-102 anti-radiation missile, and various guided and non-guided bombs. Targeted at [...]

For the first time a US Marine Corps F-35B made a Link 16 connection with the USS Wasp’s Ship Self Defense System (SSDS), allowing the stealth fighter to securely share digital tactical data with the US Navy vessel and surrounding support fleet, information that could be used for defense against an air attack.Sharing data from [...]

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has thrown a Y220bn ($1.94 billion) financial lifeline to its Mitsubishi Aircraft unit, developer of the troubled MRJ regional jet. The financial support package will involve a capital injection of Y170 billion ($1.5 billion) into the aircraft manufacturer, and the cancellation of Y50 billion in debt owed to MHI. As a [...]